Monday, April 07, 2008

Influences - Piet Mondrian

Composition with Red, Yellow and Blue (1921)

Being a city slicker at heart I am invariable drawn to the later works of Piet Mondrian. There is a profound arbitrariness, almost akin to anarchy within his grid paintings. Like a jazz riff that flutters round the members of a band, each improvising their take before handing it on to the next player. An interplay of disparate actors within a maze, the life of a city continually shapes and reshapes as influences interact before continuing their journey.

Watch his paintings dance, not a stately waltz, but the dance of a city. I have had the good fortune to visit New York, and he got it right, you know. And Manila, an affordable alternative with better weather.

Broadway Boogie Woogie (1942-1943)

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Our history of art teacher at Claremont was a huge fan of Mondrian. I found her interest in his psychology very entertaining and always remember her talking about his logic! Annie Tomkins

Puneflowersdelivery said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.